Uttar Pradesh was earlier known as 'Central Province' and none was more befitting to its stature than this name. Indeed Uttar Pradesh, or UP as it is popularly called, has been in the central of all the activities that has shaped India. From the rule of Moguls to the rule of people, Utter Pradesh has been at the helm of affairs.

The state is the largest in terms of population in India. It has close to 160 million inhabitants. That is more than the total population of Western Europe! The state stretches from the Northern ridge of the Arravallies near Ghaziabad to the lush green Ganges basin at Allahabad. In between come commercial belt of Rohilkhand and the ravines of Bundelkhand. Since decades Bundelkhand has been known as the badlands of Uttar Pradesh because of its bandits infested ravines.

Uttar Pradesh is like a melting pot of various cultures. People of various race and religion that inhabit this state have contributed in the composite culture of Uttar Pradesh. These contributions can be seen in various fields such as cuisine, architecture, music and poetry etc. All these have made UP a place to travel and explore.

Uttar Pradesh tourism boasts of some of the most visited tourist spots in India. Taj Mahal and Ghats of Varanasi are two of the jewel of Uttar Pradesh Tourism. It is rightly said that there is none left in this world that could match the magnificence of Taj. This subtle yet attractive insignia of love pulls hordes of tourists every year. And if Taj stands for romanticism, Varanasi is for salvation. There is some hidden energy in Varanasi that gives solace to thousand who come to the eternal city. Scores of people from different parts of world make Varanasi their home every year.

Apart from that Uttar Pradesh has some of the major Buddhist heritage sites such as Sarnath and Kushinagar. The Hindu pilgrimage sites such as Mathura, Allahabad, Ayodhya and Gadh-Mukteshwar also attract thousands of pilgrims every year. Besides the Taj Mahal, Varanasi and the Buddhist circuit, tourism in Uttar Pradesh also covers the ancient Mahabharata circuit that runs across the western part of the state.